Brisbane warned to prepare for a direct hit from tropical cyclone

Brisbane residents are being warned to prepare for a rare direct hit from Tropical Cyclone Alfred as it continues its southerly journey off the Queensland coast.

As of early Sunday afternoon, the category 2 storm was about 370 kilometres north-east of Bundaberg and moving south at about 10km/h. It was expected to continue moving south to south-east.

Bureau of Meteorology Brisbane manager Matthew Collopy said daily rainfall of up to 600 millimetres was possible from late Wednesday, putting the south-east at risk of potentially deadly flooding.

Modelling shows Tropical Cyclone Alfred making a hard turn towards the south-east Queensland coast on Tuesday.Credit: Bureau of Meteorology

Collopy said the heaviest falls would be at the southern end of the system as it crossed the coast, with a tropical cyclone warning expected to be issued as soon as Monday.

“At this stage, it is not possible to predict the exact coastal crossing [site], and people from Bundaberg right down to the Gold Coast need to be aware that we may see significant winds, coastal inundation, intense rainfall and flooding,” he said.

Premier David Crisafulli said given that millions of Queenslanders were potentially in the firing line, it was vital for the south-east to prepare.

“I know this is not a frequent occurrence [for the south-east], and there may be Queenslanders who can be forgiven for thinking this is something that doesn’t occur,” he said.

“Well, history shows that it does, and that’s why we are taking that precautionary approach and asking people to do everything you can to get ready – things like making sure you’ve got tinned food.

“Do all those things, do all the nuts and bolts that Queenslanders do.”

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli providing an update on Tropical Cyclone Alfred at Kedron on Sunday.Credit: Facebook

Crisafulli said the south-east was “sadly” well-versed in dealing with flooding events and had always responded well.

“If people stay connected, I’ve got every faith that we can get through the event and, ultimately, it’s people that have to matter, and people that have to come first in this, and preservation of human life is a first priority,” he said.

The premier said he was in touch with telco providers to ensure there was enough bandwidth to communicate with residents, while emergency services, such as the Queensland Fire Department’s swift water rescue teams, were already pre-deploying.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said he had convened the council’s local disaster management group to ensure Brisbane was prepared.

“A cyclone in Brisbane is something many of us have never experienced before, so getting prepared now is the only way to ensure your home, pets and loved ones stay safe,” he said.

Schrinner urged residents to do whatever they could now to prepare by cleaning up yards, trimming branches and securing loose items.

“I’ve also asked council to ensure green waste tipping to our four resource recovery centres is free until further notice to help residents prepare,” he said.

Acting Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy, on just his second day in the role, said emergency services would take advantage of the next couple of days to prepare for the cyclone’s arrival.

“Low-lying areas across the coast – particularly in the south-east corner – that have not experienced these sorts of winds or waves for some considerable time are of most concern,” he said.

“We’ve asked our local government areas to ensure we have clear messaging and plans for those in those low-lying areas to be able to action.”

Chelepy said residents on some Moreton Bay islands should take particular note of warnings.

“I ask you to think about the risk for you and make a decision as to whether or not you should leave those islands – and when you should leave those islands – because that window to leave the island will close later in the week should this system turn west and head towards the Queensland coast,” he said.

In 1974, category 2 Tropical Cyclone Zoe crossed the coast at Coolangatta, shortly after Cyclone Wanda resulted in catastrophic Brisbane floods.

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